Charlie Kirk assassination sparks Senate hearing on left-wing political violence as Schmitt vows action

A Senate Republican plans to launch a hearing to put political violence from the left under the microscope.Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., plans to announce an upcoming hearing, dubbed “Politically Violent Attacks: A Threat to Our Constitutional Order,” to examine the origins of political violence and extremism that he argued stemmed largely from the Democratic side of the political spectrum.Schmitt, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, plans to hold the hearing on Oct.28 and will examine the cross section of the First Amendment and political violence, specifically in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.“The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk shook the nation to its core, and it was the latest in a long list of examples of left-wing political violence,” Schmitt said.

“Many of these attacks come while Americans are exercising constitutionally protected core political speech.”Kirk’s death prompted a brief moment of reprieve from the typically volatile back-and-forth on Capitol Hill, with many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle calling for a toning down of political rhetoric.However, as the government shutdown has continued, lawmakers are once again trading barbs as frustrations mount.The recent “No Kings” rallies across the country renewed discussions among congressional Republicans about political violence among the left, which followed a recent roundtable held at the White House where President Donald Trump hosted independent journalists to share their experiences covering Antifa, a radical left-wing group that Trump recently designated a domestic terrorist organization.So far, the only confirmed witness for the hearing is conservative commentator and podcast host Michael Knowles, a friend of Kirk’s who recently headlined a Turning Point USA rally at the University of Minnesota.Knowles himself is no stranger to protests turning violent.He hosted a speaking event focused on transge...